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I'm Amy, writer and founder of Minnesota Locavore. Here it's all about eating and creating locally in the North Star State.
I like to learn and to dabble in a little bit of everything. That's exactly what you'll find here: recipes, tips on locavore eating, DIY and quilting, photography, books, and all-things Minnesota.

Minnesota Cheese Festival Recap

May 20, 2014

For the record, I’m writing this from my favorite garden view:

Can you believe we’re finally getting to summertime?

Last weekend we we’re basking in all this sunshine at the 2014 Minnesota Cheese Festival. The weather was terrific at the State Fairgrounds and the vendors even better. Picture my perfect Saturday morning: sunshine and rows and rows of cheeses on toothpicks. I kept asking Greg to pinch me. Our tickets got us access to more than 100 cheeses from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, as well as a chance to visit with some familiar local food favorites like Slow Food MN and Minnesota Cooks.

My personal favorite came from Alemar Cheese Company in Mankato, MN. They sampled their Good Thunder, a soft Reblochon-style cheese that is washed in Surly Bender beer. If you are a Surly fan (and I know most of us Minnesota Locavores are…) add this to your list of must-try local foods. It’s a to-die-for velvety cheese with a hint of creamy stout beer. I may have been the creeper who kept wandering back to get another sample, and another…and another…

I also walked home with a cheese journal, some mason jars printed with the Minnesota Cheese Festival logo and a swag bag that pretty much sums up my locavore thoughts on life: